Review: PRS Standard 22 Electric
Anytime you consider a Paul Reed Smith guitar, it's difficult to get a bead on where it sits in terms of quality compared to the majors, like Gibson and Fender. It's certainly a cult guitar, a large cult, but a cult guitar. By that I mean that the high opinion of a PRS is often as much rooted in emotion as in actual value. Macintoshes are another good example (which I own, so I know).
This extremely good reputation was earned. In the 80's, when Gibson and Fender were putting out mediocre guitars based on corporate values, PRS came along and made the American hand made guitar the icon that it is today.
There were some definite characteristics of a fine PRS. It had a finish second to none, using a two layer process that almost created a 3D like effect. The neck was thin, and gave up some stability for extreme playability. The fretboard and bodies were often made of exotic woods, and the shape was sleek and modern.
Most of all, it had some of the best electronics of the 80's and 90's (for high end guitars), and a superb pickup in the Dragon. No wonder it became a guitar of choice for Ted Nugent, Carlos Santana and others.
However, success caught up with Paul Reed Smith, and the decision to keep with demand by using CNC methods for the neck and body was made. It turned out to be a good gamble for a high end maker, as demand didn't falter (although it made the pre-'90s models more valuable).
Since then, they've added more models than one can keep track of, even compared to Les Pauls, and now have guitars that go down the price range. Which include Korean made guitars. The Standard 22 is made to be a more accessible model to those who can't afford the top end guitars. It doesn't have the maple cap, and it's all mohogany (albeit with a set neck). It has Dragon II pickups which are excellent.
Top end PRS's tend to look similar to the old Les Paul double cut, the standard version, not the faded finish type. It's a bright guitar, but bell-like, and that pure tone becomes very versatile because sonically it responds better to tone controls. Muddy pickups just get darker when you tone it down, PRS's change tone.
In the case of the Standard 22, you have a cheaper pickup, mohogany wood, and a short 22 fret neck. All that adds up to less harmonic response, and mainly affecting the midrange. I remember being very surprised that an SG sounded fuller in the mid-range. It's not drastic, and in fact, and unless you want an SG sound, you probably won't notice it.
The 22 fret neck is a joy to play if you have small hands (like me). Even at that spacing, intonation is perfect, and it's a guitar that has incredibly low action without buzzing. This guitar is essentially the equivalent of a natural finish mohogany Les Paul with Burstbucker Pros, which go for around 850.00 street price. The Standard 22 guitar would have outperformed any high end Gibson of the Norlin era, or an CBS strat, but both of those companies have corrected course while PRS has stood still. Add even the highest inflated price you can think of for a paint job, and there still is a huge gap when you're talking 2200.00 street.
By the same token, I'm speaking as someone who thinks PRS's are nice, but will get all emotional when talking about '50s Telecasters or old archtops. So I do get why a PRS lover will prefer his or her axe to a Gibson.
It's also a good reason to read reviews by non-believers before shelling out a couple of thousand on any guitar. I wouldn't have paid 2200.00 for the Standard 22, as my experience with it was during a possible sale/trade for one. However, even at the offered price, it would have made more sense (in my case) to buy a new Custom Shop Fender. After all, if you're dealing with a machined neck and body, with American finishing and set-up, then a lot of the intrinsic value is gone.
A good example is Mexican made Fenders. I use a new Baja Custom Shop designed tele, with US Custom Shop neck and electronics, and people still tell me it's only going to be worth 300.00 when it's time to sell (it's an 800.00 street price guitar). I just reply that the Baja was so good that I traded off my Standard, but they just shake their heads in pity.
Which bring us back to this PRS. I had nothing but good impressions about this guitar, and in the '80s and early '90s, it would have been in my collection in a heartbeat. In 2007, we're in the middle of a “Golden Age” with high quality choices and real competition present at every price range. PRS is synonymous with quality, but so are many others now.
The company chose to respond the Gibson way, with lower quality versions as opposed to price cuts. As a result, in a couple of years, this Standard 22 will decline, not increase, in price. The reason is simple, it's at most a 1200.00 guitar. Worth every penny to the right player, but still 50% too high now.
If you get one of these used, it'll be a great value, and the workmanship will last decades. If you're thinking about buying new, then go ahead and wait till you can get the high end PRS models. Like Gibsons, the top end is over priced, but that doesn't mean it isn't a superb guitar.
In other words, there's some difference between paying 2000.00 for a very good guitar, and 4000.00 for a magnificent guitar. You'll overpay in both cases, but getting the best somehow makes that less important.
PRS used to be a pretty special name. Now it's like any other good company that makes premium guitars, but if the industry has finally caught up, you can thank them for that.
- Al Handa
2013
Note: This review first appeared on the ePinions.com site in 2013. This and other reviews were short takes that accompanied the link to a business that sold the guitar. As a rule, the guitar had to be at least examined and played by the reviewer (and ideally owned). In my case, a severe case of GAS made it possible to have at least owned the reviewed instrument for a short while. I'm reprinting these as having another source on a guitar never hurts, even if the reviews aren't definitive. Other than minor corrections, these short takes are unchanged from the original text. I figure that it might be helpful to keep the older perspective.
Podcast Episode 3 now live on Spotify and Apple.
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alhanda/episodes/On-The-Road-With-Al--Ivy-Episode-3-e2k5k0q
Topics:
The Godfather by Mario Puzo, Three Musketeers by Dumas, and the Robin Hood myth.
Some thoughts on Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck, On The Road by Kerouac Scroll Version, and The Road by Jack London.
Music:
My Dog Dreams And Becomes A Mermaid Techno Mix, Sunday's Moon and Nigel Raga by Handa-McGraw International.
Taylor's Blues by Mark McGraw
Also by Al Handa:
